A Waste of ‘Dead Money’

Any Fallout New Vegas DLC has a lot to live up to, especially when you consider how solid most of them were for Fallout 3.

For the sake of this review, lets forget all about “Mothership Zeta,” which featured boring characters, a lackluster story and a map that was essentially capable of making your head explode.

On second thought, lets remember it, because the same map problems that zapped the fun out of that alien adventure actually do make your head blow up in “Dead Money.”

If you remember the quests in New Vegas where the Brotherhood of Steel has a collar wrapped around your neck, you’ll be right at home with “Dead Money.” Well, not exactly home. Those missions are easily some of the most frustrating in the game, because it takes the free will out of a game that thrives on it.

As a result, “Dead Money” is not dough well spent, or even stolen.

Upon finding a radio signal for the Sierra Madre, a long-lost casino, you’re knocked out and taken to a village infested with “ghost hunters.” Their origin isn’t explained too well, but they’re tough and ultra annoying. Using knives at the end of spears, as well as gas bombs and bear-trap fists, these things pack a mighty wallop. If dealing with them alone wasn’t enough, you’re also introduced to three other characters- a woman with no voice [an apparent victim of medical experiments], a super mutant with multiple personalities and a ghoul that used to be an entertainer. While they sound cool, all three are annoying, boring or unable to communicate.

If you were thinking this was Fallout meets Ocean’s 11, think again- this quartet is a far cry from the rat pack.

To make matters worse, you can’t kill them. Why? You all have collars on that are rigged to explode if one of you dies or if you wander outside of the area you’re supposed to be in. The only way to not die is find the radios that are transmitting the signals to the collars.

The problem is that they’re all hidden and difficult to find. On top of that, once you get inside the casino, you have security holograms that can’t be defeated. Instead you have to find the sensor that activates them and shut it off. Between the constant beeping and annoying enemies, whoever came up with this idea from Bethesda completely took the fun out of this add-on. With the map already a chore to navigate, barely any stimpaks around and more of the same go-for gameplay that tarnished “New Vegas,” “Dead Money” doesn’t have too much going for it.

There are more problems in the game, such as keys and codes being hidden under items. If you’ve played the last two games in the series- those are things you usually tend to not pick up.

Essential quest items hidden under clipboards? With hologram security guards chasing after you and your neck collar beeping and exploding before you can find cover? Over and over again?

Think again Bethesda.

“Dead Money,” on paper at least, seemed like a natural fit as an add-on. A secret casino, a heist with crazy characters and ghost warriors; this game had enough positives to get fans of this series to salivate. In the end however, the execution just isn’t there.

At the same time, if you can struggle through this uber-tough DLC, the end reward is a worthwhile one, which should help you immensely once you get back to New Vegas.

Make sure you save your game before you head into the Old Madre however.

Chances are you’ll get so frustrated that you never want to return.